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Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Ianmeister, Sep 16, 2020.

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  1. Ianmeister

    Ianmeister Active Member

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    So this morning my wife (god bless the woman) came across a gen3 in Facebook marketplace for a paltry $1000. Seller seemed to think the cylinder was cracked. I went to check it. It seems a local mechanic here in Boise said there’s a little overheating so it’s probably a cracked block. looking it over it had sat for many months, but after charging the 12v battery all day it fired up. Ran really rough at first but smoothed out perfect after 2-3 minutes. It reminds me of a Jeep Liberty I had a few years ago. Mechanic said the engine was blown, turns out it needed new spark plugs and that’s it. Anyway I’ll do the chemical test on the fluid and see if I’ve got combustion gasses in the coolant. Drove it 30 minutes with no trouble. I’ll hookup torque-pro and see engine temps too. If I’m lucky it just needs TLC. Anyway now I need to figure out the gen 3 quirks!
     

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    #1 Ianmeister, Sep 16, 2020
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  2. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Congrats(y).

    Now change your location as it sounds like Fremont is further south these days;).

    More specifics when you got them:).

    Read up on the Gen3 maintenance of the egr circuit. We did that job in your driveway, so you have experienced it if nothing else (y).
     
    #2 Raytheeagle, Sep 16, 2020
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  3. Ianmeister

    Ianmeister Active Member

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    Looks like it’s a package II.
     
    #3 Ianmeister, Sep 16, 2020
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  4. Ianmeister

    Ianmeister Active Member

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    Aha! 6F56D98C-C78C-446B-996A-0F249D12BA89.jpeg
     
    #4 Ianmeister, Sep 17, 2020
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  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    sharp looking car, how many miles on her?
     
    #5 bisco, Sep 17, 2020
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  6. Ianmeister

    Ianmeister Active Member

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    227K
     
    #6 Ianmeister, Sep 17, 2020
  7. Ianmeister

    Ianmeister Active Member

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    So I checked the reservoir today. Yesterday before driving it it was about half full. Now it’s almost empty from an 8 mile drive. Time for a head gasket.
     
    #7 Ianmeister, Sep 17, 2020
  8. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    Didn't want to rain on your parade but I thought so. New plugs just masked it for a short time.

    Now to decide in what direction to proceed....


    GOOD LUCK!
     
    #8 fotomoto, Sep 17, 2020
  9. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    What reservoir.....coolant ?
    If there really is that much loss through a head gasket leak, there should be ample evidence of white foam in the oil too.
    Coolant can leak out in other places.

    Sounds like you might be making a mistake similar to the other two quoted "mechanics".
    :)
     
    #9 sam spade 2, Sep 17, 2020
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  10. Ianmeister

    Ianmeister Active Member

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    Yes engine coolant. Isn’t it possible that the gasket is blown between the water passage and the cylinder?
     
    #10 Ianmeister, Sep 17, 2020
  11. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    Yes, of course.
    But that will make at least one cylinder misfire almost all the time.
    And it will put some of the lost coolant into the crankcase as it leaks by the rings.
    And it will probably also cause a pretty steady stream of white "smoke" out the tailpipe.

    Point IS: Do not ASSUME a head gasket and pay a lot of $$$ for a new one without a definitive test.
     
    #11 sam spade 2, Sep 18, 2020
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  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Leak-down test is a good next step.
     
    #12 Mendel Leisk, Sep 18, 2020
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  13. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Given the coolant reservoir is empty, my bet is it fails ;).

    The question is will it be head gasket replacement or gen4 engine swap:).

    Get your popcorn ready(y).
     
    #13 Raytheeagle, Sep 18, 2020
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  14. royrose

    royrose Senior Member

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    Or you could part it out and make a good profit on your $1,000 investment.
     
    #14 royrose, Sep 18, 2020
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  15. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    TLDR: Hard no on this option.

    Crazy amount of competition from every salvage dealer in the country who not only have more resources of a nationwide network but can ship cheaper from their commercial accounts. Can the OP ship a Prius hood across the USA for $200 total? Ebay vendors will.

    Parting out an entire car is a lot of work. Buyers want instant communication. Buyers want good pictures. Buyers want immediate shipping. Buyers want free shipping. Buyers want parts from low miles vehicles (OP has 227k).

    Parting out works best for vehicles whose OEM parts are no longer available. Simply put: supply and demand.

    Finally, just check out a rare part-out threads in the for sale forum and see how those turn out. Here's one: For Sale - Parting out my Gen 3 2010 Prius (Zip 49274) | PriusChat
     
    #15 fotomoto, Sep 19, 2020
  16. Ianmeister

    Ianmeister Active Member

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    Ok. I’m still on the fence but I’m still studying it. What we know
    1 I’m getting a misfire code on cylinder 2
    2 the engine shakes like a belly dancer for 10 seconds after startup then runs smooth and quiet WITHOUT white smoke
    3 the HV system seems to run flawlessly.
    4 I’m not EXACTLY sure about fluid consumption. I need to make sure I’m looking at the same mark and really quantifying what’s happening. THE ENGINE RUNS AT 190F as per torque pro F404BA89-CAB5-4B71-96A7-7004692A9228.jpeg
    5 here’s a picture of the dipstick. Before and after wipe. I’ve seen water in oil before and this doesn’t really look like it but what do you think? image.jpg
    6 my brain is telling me to pull the head check that all cylinders have the same depth (to make sure there’s no bent rods) And send out the head for a valve job, clean and replace everything that’s in there (egr, water pump, belt, PCV) while I’m at it and call it done...
    7 unless!!! The engine or head is bad, then look into a gen 4 swap.

    this may be an epic tale, but we’ll see.
     
    #16 Ianmeister, Sep 19, 2020
  17. Ianmeister

    Ianmeister Active Member

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    Just went for a 45 minute drive. Still shakes on startup. No loss of fluid. Dipstick looks the same.
     

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    #17 Ianmeister, Sep 19, 2020
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  18. ttou68

    ttou68 Active Member

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    I have replaced head gasket in a 2010 with 208k recent months back, and dip stick look just like yours.. hard to tell at glance, but I'm guessing you're having a leaky head gasket...

    So, I would suggest to drain the motor oil and see what comes out...

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #18 ttou68, Sep 19, 2020
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2020
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  19. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Some stratification evident?

    IMG_3411.jpg
     
    #19 Mendel Leisk, Sep 19, 2020
  20. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    #20 ASRDogman, Sep 19, 2020
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